So I don’t really have anything against this book, but I kinda didn’t like it. Like I kinda didn’t like Charles Highway – not in a ‘I freaking hate his guts’ kinda dislike, but more of a ‘what’s that bad smell’ kinda dislike.
Young Charles is a bit like Holden Caulfield – brash, sex driven, drunk and cruises through life. The type of guy that I and most people sort of despise. People probably argue that Holden was more likeable; had a bit of… what do you call it… a conscience. I completely agree, but I nevertheless am going to pigeonhole Holden and Charles together simply because they are the type of guys that young girls tend to luuuurve. I guess that is why poor silly little Rachel gets snared in Charles’ stupid stupid aim in life to sleep with an ‘older’ woman. Gosh. I can’t get over what an idiot he is.
But then again, Rachel isn’t all that crash hot either. She’s flighty, needy, silly and a bit of a slut. The type of girl that I and most people sort of despise. Oh wait… are we sensing a bit of a pattern here?
The funny thing is that, despite all my bitching and whining and whining and bitching, I kept reading this book till the end. And like how you keep reading this post till the very end, you are hoping that, maybe, your efforts haven’t been wasted. Unfortunately, when I finished reading The Rachel Papers, all I felt doing was viciously poking a burnt stick into Charles Flipping Highway’s left eye.
Second surprising point – once I got over that little ragey need/desire, I never for a single moment regretted reading that book. Sure, no desire to re-read it; but also no regrets. Go figure, eh?
N.B. A filum of the same name also exists – I probably will never see it.
Tags: Books, Martin Amis, older woman, Rachel Papers, Review, silly
